Optical accessory with mounting rail

ABSTRACT

An optical accessory including a first attachment device for mounting another optical accessory thereto, the first attachment device including a mounting rail, which may be formed with grooves. The optical accessory may further include a second attachment device adapted to be attached to a mounting rail external to the optical accessory.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to optical accessories, e.g., for weapons, such as but not limited to, flashlights and telescopic sights, and particularly to such accessories with mounting rail features.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Police officers and other individuals who use guns in dark conditions often desire a portable light to illuminate their surroundings. A handheld light, such as a flashlight, can provide illumination, but it becomes unmanageable when the gun user must use both hands to control the gun. Accordingly, many weapon manufacturers today manufacture and market weapons with provisions for mounting a light on the weapon. For example, the major handgun manufacturers, such as Springfield Armory, Glock, SIG and many others, make handguns with a light mounting rail formed on the pistol/rifle frame, such as on the underside or top or both sides of the barrel. Such a mounting rail is often referred to in the art as a “light rail” (or a MIL-STD M-1913 (Picatinny) rail, or “universal rail”, or “tactical rail”, the terms being used interchangeably throughout the specification and claims). The light rail has been used for mounting whitelights, infrared and laser illuminating devices and telescopic sights, for example. In many weapons, the mounting rail is integral with the weapon and has a dovetail recess. A mounting base with a complementary profile is employed on the light or sighting device (or other accessory) which permits a sliding engagement on the rail with little play.

It has been recognized in the art that the light should be easily detached from the weapon, and should be attachable to different objects other than the weapon. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,714 to Morre et al. describes an adapter for mounting a light source to a gun and for alternatively attaching the light source to a second object. The device includes a clip and detachable mount. The clip has a flexible clip arm that allows the flashlight to be clipped to a belt, a shirt pocket or other convenient location. The mount attaches to a gun, weapon, tool or other implement and cooperates with the clip arm on the clip so that the flashlight can be easily connected to the gun, weapon, tool or other implement when desired. The clip disconnects easily from the mount so that the flashlight and clip can readily be removed from the mount and clipped to another object.

An example of a sighting device mountable on a mounting rail is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,893 to Spinner, in which a mounting apparatus that has a rail is disposed on part of the weapon in a longitudinal direction. The rail has a pair of longitudinally extending opposed sides and a longitudinally extending first attachment element on each of the opposed sides. A removable mounting base has a pair of longitudinally extending side edges and a longitudinally extending second attachment element on each side edge. Each second attachment element is complimentary to a corresponding one of the first attachment elements. The mounting base is slidingly and longitudinally engaged with the rail via the complimentary first and second attachment elements. The mounting base is formed of at least two parts which are slidable against one another in a transverse direction. A spring mechanism produces a spring force and is arranged to bias the two parts of the mounting base into engagement with the rail. The spring force is overcome by manually squeezing the two parts to release the mounting base from the rail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide novel optical accessories, such as but not limited to, flashlights and telescopic sights, with mounting rail features, as is described more in detail hereinbelow. The optical accessories (e.g., flashlight or sighting device) of the invention permit modularly mounting the accessories to one another and to another object, such as a weapon. One or more accessories may be mounted on the mounting rail, such as but not limited to, a non-coherent light device, a coherent light device, a telescopic sight, and/or an outdoors sport device (e.g., a mounting climbing tool).

There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention apparatus including an optical accessory including a first attachment device for mounting another optical accessory thereto, the first attachment device including a mounting rail, which may be formed with grooves. The optical accessory may further include a second attachment device adapted to be attached to a mounting rail external to the optical accessory (such as telescope with small magnification to telescope with large magnification, telescope to laser pointing device or sighting device to spotting light, for example). Other features may be provided without limitation. For example, the second attachment device may include an attachment mechanism attachable to a weapon light rail. The attachment mechanism may include spring-biased lugs. A pair of the optical accessories may be connected to one another, wherein the first attachment device of one of the optical accessories is mounted to the second attachment device of the other optical accessory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of an optical accessory, in this case a flashlight, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified pictorial illustration of another optical accessory, in this case a sighting device, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a simplified pictorial illustration of the optical accessories mounted on a weapon, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which illustrates an optical accessory 10, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Optical accessory 10 may comprise a flashlight (e.g., weapon light) having a casing 12, which includes a light 14 and a battery 16 disposed therein. A switch 18 may be used to operate the light 14, such as but not limited to, a momentary toggle/push switch or a constant-on shuttle switch. Light 14 may comprise any suitable light, such as but not limited to, a directional light, an infrared light, an ultraviolet light, and/or a blinking light, with any power and output of lumens.

Optical accessory 10 may be manufactured as one integral unit, with casing 12 supplied with light 14, battery 16 and switch 18. Alternatively, any commercial light may be mounted in casing 12. For example, light 14 may include the X200 weapon light, commercially available from SureFire, which includes a total internal refection focusing lens and a tempered window with an anti-reflective coating. Thus, optical accessory 10 may be sold as an interchangeable body (accessory), or as a complete hand held light.

Optical accessory 10 may include a first attachment device for mounting another accessory thereto. For example, the first attachment device may comprise, without limitation, a mounting rail 20, which may be integrally formed with case 12 or attached thereto. Mounting rail 20 may be formed with grooves 22, such as but not limited to, dovetail grooves, as in universal or Picatinny rails, for example. Mounting rail 20 thus comprises a “female attachment device” onto which other accessories may be mounted (e.g., piggyback mounting thereon).

Optical accessory 10 may also include a mounting base 24 with an attachment mechanism 26 for attaching to a light rail 50 of a weapon 52 (seen in FIG. 3). The attachment mechanism 26 may be configured for attachment to dovetail recesses 54 of the weapon light rail 50. The attachment mechanism 26 may include, without limitation, a spring mechanism that produces a spring force and is arranged to bias lugs 28 of the mounting base 24 into engagement with the weapon light rail 50. The spring force may be overcome by manually squeezing the lugs 28 to release the mounting base 24 from the rail 50. Mounting base 24 thus comprises a “second attachment device” for attaching to a mounting rail (in this case, a male attachment device, the lugs 28 being the male fasteners that mate with the dovetail grooves of the mounting rail, which are the female fasteners).

The above are just some non-limiting examples of attachment devices and others are also within the scope of the invention (e.g., screws, wing nuts, clips, VELCRO straps and many others.)

Optical accessory 10 may be manufactured of any suitable material, such as but not limited to, metal or engineering plastics and polymers. Optical accessory 10 may be used for any kind of weapon (e.g., rifles and pistols), as well as in conjunction with adapters for belts, holsters and other accessories.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which illustrates another optical accessory 30, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Optical accessory 30 may comprise a sighting device (e.g., telescopic sight) having a casing 32, which includes one or more lenses 34 (which may have any kind of coating) and a focusing device 36, for example. Here too, optical accessory 30 may be sold as an interchangeable body (accessory), or as a complete sighting device.

Optical accessory 30 may include a first attachment device for mounting another accessory thereto. For example, the first attachment device may comprise, without limitation, a mounting rail 31, similar to the mounting rail 20 described hereinabove in FIG. 1, formed with grooves 29. Mounting rail 31 is a “female attachment device” onto which other accessories may be mounted (e.g., piggyback mounting thereon).

Optical accessory 30 may also include a mounting base 35 with an attachment mechanism 38 with lugs 39 for attaching to light rail 50 of weapon 52, as described hereinabove. for mounting base 24 and attachment mechanism 26 in FIG. 1. Mounting base 35 thus comprises a second attachment device for attaching to a mounting rail.

The optical accessories of the invention permit modularly mounting the accessories to one another and to the weapon.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art. 

1. Apparatus comprising: an optical accessory comprising a first attachment device for mounting another optical accessory thereto, said first attachment device comprising a mounting rail.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mounting rail is formed with grooves.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second attachment device adapted to be attached to a mounting rail external to said optical accessory.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second attachment device comprises an attachment mechanism attachable to a weapon light rail.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said attachment mechanism comprises spring-biased lugs.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical accessory comprises a flashlight.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said optical accessory further comprises a battery and switch, said flashlight, battery and switch being disposed in a casing.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical accessory comprises a sighting device.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pair of said optical accessories connected to one another, wherein the first attachment device of one of said optical accessories is mounted to the second attachment device of the other optical accessory.
 10. Apparatus comprising: an optical accessory comprising a first attachment device for mounting another optical accessory thereto, said first attachment device comprising a mounting rail; and a second attachment device adapted to be attached to a mounting rail external to said optical accessory.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said second attachment device comprises an attachment mechanism attachable to a weapon light rail. 